Today's readings draw us into the Promised Land. The first reading speaks
about this change in the lives of our ancestors in the faith. They no
longer had manna but they had food from the produce of the land. God no
longer fed them with the manna and quail. Instead they now took on the
responsibility of obtaining their own food. God remains with them, but now
in a different way.

The second reading repeats the theme, now in terms of Christ saving us and
making us a new creation. Far too often we forget that we have been made a
new creation in Christ Jesus and we live as if we had never been baptized
or changed at all. This is our human condition of sinfulness. The more we
become aware that we are made new, the more we can life in the newness of
life and give glory to the Lord. It is always a matter of asking our
loving Father: change us and make us in your image.

The Gospel is the story of the two sons who are so very different and yet
both of whom in the end seek to do the Father's will. We can presume that
if the Father is so good, then the second son eventually accepts His words.
We find elements of both the first son and the second son within
ourselves. It doesn't matter whether we think in terms of sons or
daughters, the teaching is the same. We can also think of God as our
Mother here, as Pope John Paul I once said. The teaching is about our
humanity and not about our gender.

What is the teaching: we are made new, we make mistakes, we reject the
goodóbut God always is happy and delighted to have us return to the way of
salvation and to come to enjoy divine life with Him. We are invited to the
Promised Land. We are invited to be part of the New Creation. We are
invited to see the love our Father has for us, whether we have been one of
those who strayed or one of those who tried to stay on the path always.

May our Lord send His Spirit on us this Sunday and move our hearts and our
minds so that we may love others as He has loved us.